Castle of Sand
by AzulaXZuko
Summary: After addressing his father about joining the Avatar, Zuko was killed by Firelord Ozai. Meanwhile Azula remains as the rightful heir to the throne. However, after witnessing her brothers death and getting beaten by her father for disobedience, she is left at a crossroads without knowing which path to take. Should she continue waging the fire nations' war, or blaze her own trail?
1. Chapter 1

**Castle of Sand**

 **Chapter 1: Tears and Tattered Souls**

I stumble in the alleyway and lean my back against the cold stone wall, sliding down into a sitting position. My forehead is bleeding. My leg is gashed. It feels like my arm is broken. Bruises are all over my body. Tears start to well in my eyes as I gaze upward at the stars. One zips passed and I start to sob.

Zuzu is dead.

Burying my head between my knees, I make a wish. Maybe the shooting star can bring him back to life. Of course during my lifetime I've learned that dreams never come true.

Any reasonable person would say I need to face the reality—that Zuko isn't coming back. That father will never change. That I'll be the next to die under his nigh-omnipotent hand.

But I won't.

I'll stay here, crying and praying, waiting patiently for things to change on their own. For someone to save me. I'll serve my father until the day I die, and if it's asked of me, I'll throw away a thousand lives for the fire nation.

One day I'll be happy. I'll do something right. Maybe one day I'll even be the good little girl mother always wanted. One day I'll be the daughter she deserved.

[Time skip]

Three days have passed since Zukos' death, and I just learned that a funeral isn't going to be held. Apparently he's already been cremated.

Meanwhile I'm laying here in the infirmary trying to recover. Father beat me as a warning, threatening that if I ever betray him I'll end up like my brother. It doesn't sound so bad though. I'll trade hell for a coffin any day. But unfortunately I'm weak and want to live. Even if it is hell, maybe it can change.

The Day of Black Sun was a huge success for the fire nation anyways. A failed assault and an avatar who realizes we're more intuitive than he thinks speak for themselves. If nothing else, the failed invasion proved that our kingdom is supreme, and suppresses those who oppose us.

The fire nation is stronger than ever. Meanwhile I'm still weak. And without a doubt father still expects me to perform my duties even though I'm hurt. And that's not the worst of it; Ty Lee is the one taking care of me and she won't keep her mouth shut. I know she means well, and that she's trying to cheer me up, but she could at least give me some space. I want to be alone. But of course, here she comes with a bowl of soup and a disgusting smile. God I hate those.

"Azula! I've got your soup! And you're lucky because I made it myself." She winks. "I promise it won't kill you."

The soup may not kill me, but her perkiness will. It's been like this all day, and she simply won't let up.

"You have no idea how long it took me to crush the tomatoes. I had to use my feet…"

My face scrunches up and I turn away. There's no way I'm eating that stuff.

Ty Lee giggles, "I'm just kidding. Now sit up so I can feed it to you."

I slowly maneuver my body into an upright sitting position, and wince a little in pain. My whole body aches, but especially my left arm which is definitely broken. My legs are covered in bandages and so is my forehead. Maybe I deserve this though; after all, I lied to father about the avatar. Perhaps this is how he chose to vent his anger.

I wish I could sulk in my own pity for a while, but Ty Lee has already brought the spoon to my lips and is expecting me to open wide.

"Open up, Azula." She smiles again.

I just know she's laughing at me on the inside. But I'm hungry, so I take the spoon in my mouth.

"I have a good arm, you know. There's no need to feed me." I state. I make certain she can hear the irritation in my voice.

"But where's the fun in that? Seeing you all roughed up is kinda cute. Besides, we both know your other arm hurts too."

She continues feeding me.

After a while my stomach starts to hurt and I lose interest in food. Zukos' death comes to mind, and my eyes begin to water.

I shouldn't feel this way. Zuko was a traitor to the fire nation. He was selfish and wanted to pursue his own goals, expecting to leave our kingdom behind. But why do I care?

My head is filled with so many questions, so many things I can't make sense of. Why help the avatar? What did Zuzu hope to gain from it? One more question pops into my head, and I'm not sure I want to know the answer.

"Where is Mai?" I ask aloud.

Ty Lee freezes, and her happy face melts into something somber. "She's at your brother's grave, as she has been for the past two days, Azula. She spends all of her time there."

I lie back down in bed and stare blankly at the ceiling. Mai is always emotionless, empty. She never shows any feeling other than boredom. She doesn't ever reveal her true feelings to anyone, but I know how she felt for Zuko. She loved him. But he's gone now. She would never be able to touch or kiss him again. Or feel his skin, or hear his voice. She won't be able to boss him around anymore.

Zuko is dead.

I close my eyes and a tear rolls down my cheek.

 _I'm sorry Mai. I truly am sorry._

[Time skip]

After a week of bed rest I began to feel a lot better, which is why I'm out walking the palace grounds with Ty Lee. She seemed eager for me to go outside; in fact, she even packed a lunch for the two of us. She wants to have a picnic.

There hasn't been any word from father, so I'm guessing he hasn't needed me to pillage any towns or cities recently, or to track down the avatar. For all I know, father could have already captured the stupid little brat and his stupid friends. They're all stupid.

Being outside feels nice though, and I'm glad Ty Lee brought me out here; although I won't tell her that. I wouldn't want her to think I was grateful.

I've noticed that there are more guards stationed here than there were before, more fire-benders. Perhaps the assault of the water tribe caused a stir. But then again, father does strange things. Who knows why he upped their numbers.

Wearing a cast and sling around my arm, Ty Lee was prudent enough to carry our things, such as the food. The princess shouldn't have to carry stuff anyways. And after walking for a while we find a nice spot on the grass and she throws out a blanket.

Hooray. Nothing beats eating on the ground. Seriously though, we could have just eaten somewhere inside the palace. I don't know why she insists on making my life harder than it needs to be.

"It feels wonderful out here, don't you think so?" says Ty Lee. After setting everything into place she immediately starts doing that weird thing where she walks on her hands. Why do I associate with a circus performer?

I rub my forehead in annoyance. "Yes it is. Now please sit down and eat…"

Even though it is a lovely afternoon, I'm still easily annoyed by her. And I'm still aching all over, so of course I'll be more irritated than usual.

She finally plops herself down to sit in front of me. "Relax and just enjoy the day." She is breathing deeply. "If you don't wipe that frown off your face you'll carry it permanently, you know. Lighten up a bit."

Mother used to say the same thing. She would scold me all the time for simply feeling things. Meanwhile she treated Zuko like a priceless treasure.

I stare blankly at the ground.

"You okay?"

Ty Lee has brought herself as close to my face as possible for some reason and it's making me nauseous. "I'm fine. Can we just eat already?"

Suddenly I hear a loud boom, like an explosion in the distance. It's coming from beyond the palace walls.

Forgetting about food, Ty Lee and I rise to our feet. I try to start running but I'm still too weak, and I grit my teeth when I feel a sharp pain my leg.

"Azula stop! You can't over exert yourself right now. Please let your body heal."

Ty Lee sounds panicked, almost genuinely concerned for me. Not many people are. It feels nice.

 _Thank you, Ty Lee._

Palace guards aren't moving, and no soldiers are rushing to find out what caused the noise. What's going on? Are we under attack? Why is nobody alarmed? Suddenly Ty Lee grabs my hand.

"I've heard your father has a new weapon, one that can wipe out entire cities. That explosion was far off though. They're probably running tests outside the walls."

This is news to me. I've heard nothing of a new weapon. The princess should be informed of such things, regardless of whether she is hurt or not.

I squint my eyes and stare into the distance, and I see a large cylinder of black smoke piercing the sky. Whatever plans my father has, I intend to find out. I'm loyal to him and have been from the beginning. He can't keep secrets from me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Castle of Sand**

 **Chapter 2: Confrontation**

It's been a month since the Day of Black Sun and Zukos' death. How ironic that he would die on the day the Fire Nation is at its weakest.

Mai still hasn't spoken to me, and she visits my brothers' grave daily. His body isn't there though, so it's just a stone with his name etched into it. Not to mention that 'disgraced prince' is also chiseled on its surface.

I understand that he should have been punished for his betrayal, but should he have been killed? Was his life not important? He was incredibly skilled and could have been used for great things, that is, if he forsook his plans to aid the avatar. I don't know, maybe his death was best for our country.

At this point I'm feeling much better, although my arm is, of course, still broken. And still there have been no summons from my father. Maybe he's feeling remorseful for his injured daughter and has given me a break?

No. Never. He's got a reason for keeping me out of the loop.

Regardless of his intentions, I refuse to be kept in the dark on this new weapon of his. Ty Lee says it's got something to do with the new airships we've built and war balloon schematics we created after the battle at the northern air temple. The failed invasion force sure was surprised by our beautiful display of ingenuity. So I have no doubt that my father has come up with a more destructive method of warfare that will send villagers and soldiers alike cowering away in fear. It's got to be maniacal.

Making people afraid of him is something he's good at. Except that tactic isn't going to work on me, and that's why I've decided to approach him directly on the matter. I am his loyal daughter after all.

I'm at the palaces' main entrance, and comfortingly, the soldiers won't look at me. They won't address me as I walk in. Good. They know not to unless they have urgent news for me, or a message from father. However, I feel a tinge of apprehension in their composure that extends far beyond their fear of me. Something else is keeping the silent.

That brings me to another suspicious matter: The throne room is empty.

I am inside now but father isn't here. I stand in the giant corridor alone. It's dark, and only two small flames are lit on each side of the throne.

 _Where is he?_

As I stare at the throne I hear a noise behind me. I turn around.

It's Mai, and she's standing with both hands at her sides. Her head is tilted slightly toward the ground and I can't see her face. She is standing perfectly still.

"Mai, I—"

"Where is Firelord Ozai?" She interrupts me and continues to stare at the ground. Her body is shaking.

"I don't know…But Mai you shouldn't be here. How did you even get inside? If he finds out you've—"

"I don't care!" she yells.

I've never seen her display emotion like this before. She is shaken and flustered, angry and forthright. I'm very uneasy in her presence.

"So you don't know where he is?"

I wish I did. But instead I just swallow, not sure what to say. "…no…I don't."

She gives no reply and immediately slips away, slithering into the darkness like a serpent in the shadows of midnight.

"Mai, wait!" I say aloud. But my voice echoes in the chamber and no reply comes.

She's gone, and left no trace behind.

[Time skip]

After I left the chamber I decided to look for Ty Lee, thinking that she might have answers for me. I find myself roaming the gardens. Ty Lee like flowers, after all. Maybe she's here somewhere.

Everything about today is just weird:

Father is gone.

Mai is sneaking around the palace.

Ty Lee isn't waiting on me hand and foot.

Why do the people in my life have to be so irritating? And aside from that what was Mai thinking? If my father catches her in the main chamber she'll be thrown into prison, or even worse. Father has been unpredictable lately, so there's no telling what he might do. Honestly though, she needs to be more careful.

But apart from her being imprudent, I wish I knew how she felt. How she's been dealing with Zukos' death, or what she thinks of me. Zukos' death still haunts me. I stood there and watched him die. Nobody intervened. Not me, not the guards. We all just stood there as the prince was killed.

I haven't thought about until now, but all the guards were gone when I exited the main chamber earlier today. Not a single one remained. How suspicious.

On a different note, the flowers around me smell decent. They don't smell like the disgusting ones mother used to grow, which smelled like dragon moose feces. She even made perfume out of them. Gross.

I wish I didn't always have these thoughts of her. Or Zuzu for that matter. I need to stay focused.

At this point I'm starting to think that telling my servants to leave me alone was a bad idea, because I could really use something to drink and some medicine for pain. My arm is killing me; but nobody is around. Where is everybody? Just like at the palace entrance, there aren't any guards here either.

I leave the gardens and head to the infirmary. Hopefully someone in this godforsaken place can give me some medicine. But as I enter the ward, I quickly realize that it's empty. Nobody is here.

I check the courtyards and barracks, and eventually I scour the entire palace and don't find anyone, not a single guard, servant, or maid that I can give orders to. Not even Ty Lee or Mai.

I've ended up at the main entrance once again, overlooking the city within the volcano. The landscape looks just as empty as the palace. Where has everybody gone?

I've also lost track of time, and day has quickly turned to dusk. The sun is sitting on the horizon, although I can't see it because of the volcanos ridge. It will be dark soon.

As I stand before my kingdom I hear an eerie, soft-spoken voice behind me. The hairs on my arms stand straight up and goosebumps form on my skin.

That's Zukos' voice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Castle of Sand**

 **Chapter 3: The Fire Phantom**

I start to sweat. My body trembles. My breathing becomes erratic. I don't want to turn around.

Zuzu is dead; he shouldn't be talking to me. And I don't believe in ghosts.

"Azula." says the voice. He sounds worried.

I can't think straight. My eyes widen as I consider what to do, how to react. Is this somebodies idea of sick joke? With that thought in mind I turn around quickly, hoping to catch them off guard with a blast of fire. The princess will not be taken lightly, and practical jokes are something I have always despised.

But something's amiss. My firebending has eluded me. There's no even the slightest spark from my fist. I wince because the quick movement hurt my injured arm, and that's when I notice him.

Zuko.

He is standing in front of me and from what I can tell he's not dead, obviously. My eyes are getting hazy and my lips quiver. My legs feel weak.

Zuzu is alive.

But what am I feeling? Am I happy to see him? Relieved? He and I have never been close, and honestly he's always been a coward. He's also a criminal who has betrayed the fire nation. So why am I tearing up?

"Zu…" I can't speak. For the first time in years I'm actually scared.

He takes a step forward. It's dark outside now and we're alone.

"Nice to see you too." he says without showing any emotion. "Azula, I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. And don't try to argue with me like you usually do."

No. That's not going to happen until I have answers.

"No! What's going on? I saw father kill you. I watched you die, so tell me how you're alive right now."

He takes a step back and sighs, "Here we go, just like always. If you would shut up and let me speak then maybe I could explain things to you."

I ease up. He's acting like his usual self. But still, everything about this is wrong. He's supposed to be dead.

"In case you haven't noticed Azula, we're in the spirit world right now." He pauses. Probably so I can look around.

I do just that, and notice the coloration of everything has changed. It's dark, however I can still see clearly. The landscape is bizarre and we are surrounded a dense forest. How did I not notice this before? Even my skin has changed, and is now strange tint of blue.

"What's going on? Tell me why you're here." I say with a stern voice. I look to my right and see my body lying flat on the ground.

 _What? What is this?_

"I brought you here so we could talk. Your physical body is fine, but for now you'll be speaking with me in this form. Now please be quiet."

My face twists into a scathing grimace. "Fine."

He shrugs, "So Father wasn't at the palace before you left…I guess he's finally making a move. It feels like the Day of Black Sun all over again. He's always got a trick up his sleeve..."

I turn away, not looking him in the eyes. Even in the spirit world he's kept all of his scars. I wonder if he still feels pain or remorse. Or even sadness. I know nothing about the spirit world, that's for sure.

"Good Azula." He smirks, "Taking a moment to think before you speak—I'm impressed. Anyways, I know what his plans are. He's going to assault the remaining earth colonies using a new sort of weapon. Then he's going to continue with another assault on the northern water tribe and wipe them out. Unfortunately Avatar Roku left out the finer details…"

I take a step forward. "Avatar Roku? You expect me to believe that you've spoken to him? He was a disgusting man that betrayed our nation, just like you did. He's also _dead_. Besides, what does any of this have to do with me?"

Zukos complexion remains the same, as if he is at perfect peace. "Whether you believe or not doesn't matter. I'm telling you this because I want you to find out what weapon father has created and stop him from using it."

My eyes narrow. "Why should I care about what you want? You're nothing but a coward. The fire nation is going to win this war and we will destroy the avatar line for good."

I feel so confident in those words, but I'm not sure they're my own. There shouldn't be doubt in my mind. I want to meet my father's expectations and serve him well.

Zuko's eyebrows scrunch inward as he grits his teeth, "Tens of thousands of innocent people are about to be murdered Azula!" he shouts. "You can deny it all you want, but I know you don't want to inherit a kingdom when the rivers are flowing with blood!"

I shiver. My heart beats faster. What does it mean? If Zuko is right then the fire nation is on the verge of remaking the entire world. We're so close to establishing permanent peace and fulfilling our family's greatest ambition. History will change forever. Still I'm hesitating to must any form of response to Zuko. Am I scared? Am I unsure? I can't allow him to persuade me. I am the princess.

Adjusting my stance, I stand straight and cross my arms. I maintain a sly smirk between my cheeks. "Clearly you don't know anything about me, Zuko. You never have. I'm not naïve like you and mother always thought I was. I'll do everything I can to claim this world for the fire nation."

Zuko's peacefulness returns. He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply, soaking in what I just said. "Are those your words, or father's?"

There it is again. The trembling. The fear. Hesitation.

I shudder.

Why is he doing this to me? Did he and mother really dislike me so much that they need to turn me against father too? Father is stern and sometimes cruel; but he has good reasons for doing what he does. He has a kingdom underneath him. He has a world against him. Leniency won't bring about the change he is fighting for.

Zuko speaks again, "Uncle Iroh saw this long before I did, and I hate myself for not accepting his wisdom sooner…but Azula, father isn't the kind of man you want to admire. He's sick and evil. Don't defend him anymore! You know what I'm saying is true. You know what father really is—just as I do now."

"Shut up Zuko!"

My eyes have tears in them. I turn away and clench my arm because it hurts.

 _Damn it._ If he wasn't dead I'd be insulting him right about now. I wish he would just shut up. I don't need him telling me what I should think.

I feel a hand touch my shoulder, and look up to see Zuko standing mere inches away. His scar is just as prominent as ever.

"Find Uncle and find father. Speak with them both. Then decide whose side you're on. It's clear that I can't sway you. But we're running out of time so I must be leaving." He whispers, "…and tell Mai I'm sorry. Don't let her do anything stupid."

Before I can say a word he vanishes and I'm left alone in the forest. The moonlight is shining down on my motionless body, which is still sprawled out on the ground. The stars are twinkling above.

A shooting star zips passed and I collapse to the ground.

[Break]

I wake up breathing heavy and sweating. I sit up and notice that I'm back in the infirmary. The bed is quite soft and warm. Comfy.

There's a stir to my right, and then suddenly Ty Lee is on top of me, hugging me. It's sickening. I hate hugs of any form.

"Oh, Azula!" She sniffles, burying her head into my neck. "I'm so glad you're okay. What happened? We found you collapsed in front of the palace?"

 _What?_ So none of that was just a dream…or was it? Had I actually entered the spirit world? Or could I have somehow fallen unconscious and simply had a nightmare? It sure felt real. But then again, I have been under a lot of stress recently.

"Azula?"

I break away from my trance. "I'm fine. Just a little stressed out…that's all."

Everything is so hazy. All of yesterday feels like a dream. From father being gone, to the missing soldiers and guards, to meeting Zuko in the spirit world; it all feels like it never happened.

"You've been comatose for three days now. There's a lot more than stress involved. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Ty Lee removes herself from the hug.

"I said I'm fine…but three days? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. The guards said they saw you roaming the palace grounds anxiously looking for someone, then you just collapsed." She becomes frantic, "You have no idea how worried I've been! I thought you might have been poisoned…or maybe even cursed!"

She keeps going, but I'm not paying attention. When I was roaming the palace grounds I couldn't find anyone. Nobody. But somehow the guards saw me? Am I going insane? Does it have something to do with my transition into the spirit world? Did I really meet Zuko?

I'll brush it off for now. There are more important matters to deal with.

"Where's Mai?" I ask.

I hear lit footsteps behind Ty Lee, followed by a heavy sigh.

"Right here."

There she is. She looks very tired, and her voice sounds just as boring as usual. Good. That's the way I like her.

Ty Lee backs away, but is still sitting on the edge of the bed. "By the way Azula, you're father is gone. He's on his way to the earth Kingdom…and he's left you in charge. He wants you to watch over things while he's gone."

Mai moves closer, "Yes, so give us something to do. I'm tired of doing nothing every day."

Wow, she couldn't have possibly sounded more monotone. At least she's done pouting over Zuzu. Maybe she's reconciled everything.

But the nerve of my father is unbelievable. How could he not include me in what he's planning? Especially when the avatar is roaming free. I can help. I want to help. One of these days he'll see how valuable I am. But until then I'll take Zuko's advice and go see Uncle Iroh. Father will have to wait.

I stare at Ty Lee and then glance at Mai, "We're going to the prison. I think it's time I pay our fat old uncle a visit."

[Break]

At Prison Tower everything is bleak. Everything is filthy. Even the guards are revolting. I don't even want to think about the prisoners.

A heavily fortified structure such as this one ought to be better kempt; of course the prisoners don't deserve it. None of them do. But on the rare occasion I have to come here I'd like for it to be clean. It should be worthy of a Princess.

Warden Poon should be here keeping watch over Uncle, unless of course the old slob bored him to death with his stories of Pai Sho and green tea. Maybe he even threw in the riveting tale of when he first tasted jasmine tea. That one's an epic for the ages.

I enter the disgusting dungeon and pass by many prison cells, along with many useless guards. This place is so dreary. When I find Warden Poon I approach him, and I notice that he's not at his normal post. Instead he's talking to a group of his guards, who all seem to be a little drunk. Is he not on duty?

"Warden." I say, sneaking up on him from behind. He turns around swiftly and performs the proper stance for addressing the princess; however, it's sloppy because of how tipsy he is. I'm not sure I like that our warden is getting drunk while on duty. He should be more lucid when watching the prisoners.

"Hello, princess." he states nervously. "Kind of you to pay us a visit today."

Of course it is. I'm the princess. He should be honored that I'm even speaking with him.

"Yes it is. Although I've got to say this place is a bit drab and filthy…it could stand to be cleaned, don't you think?"

"Of course, princess. We'll take care of that."

His drunken salute is pitiful and irritating. But I guess I'll deal with it for now.

"Yes you will." I state. "Anyways, I'm here to see my Uncle. Take me to his cell at once."

Poon's eyes widen. He trembles. "He…escaped about a month ago on the Day of Black Sun. Firelod Ozai told me to keep it a secret for as long as possible. I'm not sure why, princess."

Fantastic. I suppose I'll have to track him down because of the warden's inability to be competent. Though I have no doubt that father punished the warden rather severely, so I guess I won' do the same. My arm hurts anyways; and I'm too tired.

But one thing is for sure: Father has some explaining to do. This charade has gone on far too long, and he can't keep me in the dark anymore. If Uncle escaped, then I want to know where he's headed. If father is planning an assault on the earth kingdom I demand to know when and why. Crushing their spirits is pointless because we've already taken Ba Sing Se; their kingdom is in shambles.

Father has an ulterior motive.

"Very well." I state, keeping a calm composure. Poon is noticeably shocked. Apparently he expected something fiercer because of his horrible failure. "I'm going to find him. Come along Ty Lee and Mai. We're leaving at once."


	4. Chapter 4

**Castle of Sand**

 **Chapter 4: The Village that Echoes Part 1**

Has my father gone insane? He shouldn't be leaving the fire nation during a time of war, let alone leaving his teenage daughter in charge without even telling her. I'm meant for expeditions. Fighting. Warfare. That's why I've been training all these years.

I don't care that father expects me to stay here. I'm leaving. I'll find Uncle and throw him back in prison where he belongs. Then I'll confront father.

As for now, I find myself on the western rim of the fire nation. We received a tip after investigating a few villages outside of the capital, and they happily informed us that an old fire-bender with a love for jasmine tea spoke of heading west to a village in that direction. Unfortunately that was a week ago, and Uncle Iroh could have easily moved on by now—the only question is to where.

For the sake of being covert, I haven't brought anyone with me except Ty Lee and Mai. Anyone else would just be annoying and hard to deal with. After all, there aren't many people I care to associate with.

The village of Okura is small, rugged, and a useless coastal asset to the fire nation. How people live here is beyond me. Its streets are crawling with rats and the people reek of fish—dead fish. No wonder I've never come here. But with fewer than three-hundred people living here, it shouldn't be too hard to find out if someone has seen Uncle. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't caught a hint of his horrible stench. Most of the time I can smell him from fifty miles away.

We get off our mongoose lizards after making a scene in the village square, which is far from impressive. There are fish stalls and other food stands around, meanwhile all eyes are focused on us.

My arm is also feeling much better, although I'm still keeping it in a sling.

Within a few moments we are approached by an old man who claims to be the village elder. He looks wise enough. Maybe he can give us the information we need.

In no mood to chat, I get straight to the point and hold up a picture of Uncle. "Have you seen this man?"

The man slides his glasses higher on his nose and looks diligently at the picture with squinted eyes. "Can't say I have. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

That's right. I forgot to asset my authority over these people. Perhaps he's keeping quiet because he doesn't realize who I am. "I'm Princess Azula, daughter to Firelord Ozai and heir to the throne of the fire nation. If you have information regarding this man then I suggest you tell me at once."

The man smacks his chapped lips, "Firelord Ozai? Last I recall Sozin was the Firelord. Are you sure you didn't fall on your noggin, missy?"

Is he serious? My mouth gapes open as I try to determine whether he's toying with me or if he's just senile.

He speaks once more, "You know, you're not the first crazy child I've met in recent days. Just a couple days ago a young bald boy about your age came strolling through looking for a flying lemur! Imagine that—a lemur with wings! He's a strange boy though…has an arrow 'top his head. He even—"

"This boy," I interrupt. "Did he say where he was headed?"

Surely the avatar wouldn't reveal himself to the fire nation so flippantly. Maybe tracking him will be simple. If I'm lucky, maybe he and Uncle are on the same trail. Two birds with one stone—I like it.

"Oh he hasn't even left yet, my dear. With the Firefly Festival coming up we simply can't resist having guests in our humble village. So he says he'll be staying a few days."

This is unbelievable. The avatar has fallen right into my lap. Father will be more than pleased when I capture him. "Take me to him at once."

"Of course! Are you two friends? Oh, to be young…Sure wish I was your age again. I miss those days.

[Break]

The old man has brought us to some dilapidated tower on a hill near the village. It overlooks the sea and has a large field of flowers and colorful plants behind it. I'm surprised we didn't notice this before.

"Right inside here. Usually we wouldn't let a guest stay in the tower, but he likes to meditate so was gave him the privacy."

This is beyond weird. It almost feels like a trap. I glance at Mai and notice she must be thinking the same thing because a throwing star is hidden in her palm. Ty Lee looks tense as well.

After we walk in the ramshackle tower we notice that it's empty. Yet the man continues leading us up a spiral staircase. I would've never guessed the surprise that awaited us as we reached the top of the tower:

A young man in an orange robe is meditating on the towers balcony. A small flying lemur is on his shoulder. _And a blue arrow adorns his bald head._

"Mr. Gyatso, some pretty young girls have come to see you. Friends of yours, I presume?" says the village elder.

The lemur runs toward us and jumps on me, and immediately starts poking at my hair. I frantically try to get it off as Ty Lee giggles. Mai watches with a barely noticeable grin.

"Momo, don't bother the young lady…I know they're fire nation be we mustn't give them a hard time." chuckles the mysterious man.

What is going on? Who is Gyatso? There are no other airbenders. The little avatar pest is the only one; and I know I've heard him call his flying lemur 'Momo' before.

The lemur rushes back to its master. I regain composure and stare at the man before man before me. He is an air nomad monk in his mid-twenties with master tattoos.

"Who are you?" I demand, taking a step forward.

He answers calmly. "I am Gyatso, a monk from the southern air temple. I must say I'm a bit surprised by the sudden visit. Still I'm pleased to meet you. To whom do I owe this pleasure?"

He bows.

"I'm Azula, the daughter of Firelord Ozai. I demand to know why you're here and how you're still alive! We ended your people a hundred years ago!"

He quirks an eyebrow. "Ah, I see." He rubs his forehead and then breathes in deeply. "You are a very troubled child. Come, sit with me. We'll meditate together over some green tea. Perhaps we can determine what ailment has overcome you."

Does he think I'm crazy? Was that an insult? I'm not the one suggesting Firelord Sozin is alive or the one hiding out in an enemy village.

I scrunch my face into a hateful sneer. "Excuse me?"

But he doesn't reply. Instead he returns to a sitting position and begins his mediation. I look beyond him at the sea and watch the setting sun. A blinding array of orange and yellow are splashed onto the fluffy amber clouds.

The monk speaks again, "Relax and sit with me. You'll be glad you did."


End file.
